URFC vs. Portland, Player of the Match: Gunnhildur Jónsdóttir

Put it simply, Gunny was everywhere all the time. No one hustles like her, and it was her energy and enthusiasm which I think helped the team continue to fight after going down
2-0 in the hardest place to play in the NWSL. Gunny was also incredibly valuable in her ability to earn multiple free kicks, bringing her yearly total of fouls drawn up to an unbelievable twenty-nine. All in all, she was the engine that kept the squad going when they truly needed it.

Other Contenders

Katrina Gorry - “Mini” had a lot of the ball. She didn’t always make the best use of it turning the ball over multiple times, but she did show hustle, grit, and determination.

Amy Rodriguez - A-Rod had beautiful chances, but she was relatively invisible outside of that. That stated, congrats to her for going a full 90 minutes (worth mentioning on turf, too) for the first time in well over a year.

Becky Sauerbrunn - The captain did captain things again like always, making several crucial tackles. One of which included taking a ball to the face, luckily a penalty wasn’t called against her this time. It was an incredibly physical game, and she took a hammering. But to quote Greg Wrubell quoting Terrell Owens, “That’s my quarterback.”

Brooke Elby - She is the most underrated player on this team. Watch out.